1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to data processing in a distributed environment. More particularly, to a system and method for cataloging and traversing a plurality of place objects within a distributed environment selectively to execute methods on said objects, acquire data from said objects for generating reports, and export that data into another distributed environment.
2. Background Art
IBM Lotus Domino™ applications let people share, collect, track, and organize information, using Lotus Notes™ or the Web. Domino applications can cover a wide range of business solutions, including: workflow, tracking, collaboration, data integration, personalization, and globalization. Every Domino application contains one or more Domino databases. A Domino database is a container for the data, logic, and design elements in an application, and include: pages, forms, outlines, navigators, views, folders, framesets, shared resources, and agents. A page is a database design element that displays information. Forms, like pages, display information and can be used to collect information. Fields are the elements that collect data. A view is a sorted or categorized list of documents. A folder is a container that stores documents. An outline is a navigation tool created to customize a folder pane of an application. Navigators are graphical road maps that direct users to specific parts of a database, allowing users to find documents or take actions without having to open views. A frameset is a collection of independently scrollable frames. Agents are programs that perform a series of automated tasks according to a set schedule or at the request of a user. Shared resources are resources maintained in one standard place for use throughout the application, and include: image resources, shared fields, subforms, script libraries, shared Java files, and shared actions. Domino applications support collaboration, in which the unit of collaboration is a database.
Heretofore in IBM QuickPlace™ the unit of collaboration is a place which is a group of databases that reside on a single server. QuickPlace is implemented with an object model that includes four primary objects, including a (1) place that has (2) rooms which include (3) pages. And then there are (4) members of the place. Pages are organized within folders. Forms and fields are two further objects primarily visible to the designer of the place.
Place type is an object from which a place is created. Place type represents the foundation for building collaborative applications. Everything created in building collaboration space is done in a place. Once such a place is created, it can be made a template and copied as a place type. Once it becomes a place type, it is available for use by others for building additional places that include the format, look and feel, and other characteristics of the original place.
Other QuickPlace objects are skins and PlaceBots. Skins control everything about the user interface, including layout and style. Layout defines the positioning of components on the screen. Style defines the form and colors of those components. A PlaceBot is an enhanced agent, enhanced in the sense that it enables the use of Java or Lotus Notes or equivalent text editors. Once a PlaceBot is written using such an editor, and uploaded to a place, the server compiles the PlaceBot into an agent, reporting any errors. The agent resulting from a compiled PlaceBot can be scheduled to run at certain times, or upon opening a form. That is, the PlaceBot may be associated with a form, such as a sales order which, when opened, will cause the agent to execute. Thus, PlaceBots are the primary repository for custom logic in QuickPlace collaboration applications.
QuickPlace objects and equivalent Domino objects include the following: QuickPlace Server is equivalent to a Domino File Directory; Place to a File Directory; Page to a Data Note, Form & Subform; PlaceBot to a Domino Agent; Theme to a Data Note; Member to a Data Note in Contacts1.nsf; Subroom to a NSF Database; SubroomTheme to a Data Note; SubroomMember to a Data Note in Contacts1.nsf; Room to a NSF Database; Folder/TOC to a Folder or View; Form to a Data Note; and Field to a Data Note. Subrooms contain their own set of Folder, Page, Form, Field, PlaceBot & Subroom Objects.
In QuickPlace, version 1, administration was managed in server islands. It was not possible to get an overview of the QuickPlaces deployment in a large organization, and administration done in a large (many servers) deployment was tedious in that each server had to be managed individually without being able to generate reports that give the state of a plurality of places in an entire organization.
Programmatic administration of applications is known in, for example, a Domino environment. However, these do not understand the notion of QuickPlaces and the kinds of data relevant to such places, such as size, address, membership, last access, last modified, how distributed on servers, how places can be addressed through a URL, and ability to add meta data to each instance of the places (such as cost center, and other such user defined data).
There is a need to provide for scaling of the above QuickPlace collaboration model in several ways: 1) resource scalability, such as disk space, CPU, etc.; 2) geography scalability—which would allow deployments of places in different locations; and 3) administration scalability, with a multi-server unit of administration rather than having to administer a plurality of servers.
Domino, IBM, the IBM Logo, Lotus, Notes, QuickPlace are trademarks of International Business Machines in the United States, other countries, or both.